Automatic or other machine-gun.



No. 687,l30. I Patente d Nov. l9, mm.

A. T. DAWSON & a. T. BUCKHAM.

AUTOMATIC UR OTHER MACHINE GUN.

Aug. 3, 1901.]

(N0 Modal.) (Applicatio thvrrnn drnrns PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR TREVOR nAwsON AND enonen THOMAS coordina or LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS 'ro vrousas, sONs it MAXIM, LIMITED, OF WEST- MINSTER, ENG-LAND.

AUTOMATEC OR OTHER MACHINE-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,130, dated November 19. 1901.

I Application filed August 3,1901. Serial No- 70,802. (No model.)

To :35 whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON, late lieutenant of Royal'hlavy, and GEORGE THOMAS BUOKHA'AI, engineer, subjects of the King of Great Britain, both residing at 32 Victoria street, \Vestminster, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic or other MachineGuns, of which the following is a specification.

This invent-ion has reference to automatic and othermachine-guns, and is especially applicable to those having a sliding barrel and a water-jacket, as in the well-known Maxim r5 thirty'seven-millimeter gun, the chief object of our invention being to so construct'these guns that the barrel. and its water-jacket can be readily and simultaneously detached for convenience in transporting the gun. For this purpose we term the breech end of the barrel with lateral fins or projections to engage with corresponding grooves or recesses in the recoiling plates or frame, and we also form the breech end of the waterjacket with dovetail or similar grooves for the reception of correspondingly shaped ribs or projections on the breech-casing. The aforesaid grooves or recesses in the recoiling'frame and the aforesaid dovetail grooves in the breech end of 3c the water-jacket are preferably disposed vertically, so as to permit of the parts fitting together by a vertical movement. Obviously, if found advantageous, the position of the said grooves and projections relatively to each other may be reversed.

In order that our said invention may beclearly understood and readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the accompany-- o ing drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2a

plan, of a Maxim gun provided with our im provements, the detachable water-jacket and barrel being represented in these figures detached; from the breech-casing. Fig. Sis a side elevation of the gun with a portion broken away to show the said parts connected. In this view we have represented a lever or tool in position for facilitating the detachment of the parts and with such detachment partly effected.

A A are the side plates of the breech-casing, and B B the recoiling plates or frame.

0 is the barrehand D the water-jacket.

O c are the lateral fins or projections on the barrel, near the breech end thereof, and b b are the corresponding recesses or vertical grooves in the recoiling plates 13, with which said fins or projections are adapted to en-' gage. The metal at the entrance to these recesses or grooves is faced off, as shown in Fig. 2, and the lower ends of the projections c are curved or rounded, Fig. 1, so as to facilitate the engagement of the said projections with the said grooves. 5

d d are the vertical dovetailed recesses or grooves in the water-jacket, and ct a the oorresponding ribs or projections on the breech-' casing,- with which they are adapted to on gage. The said dovetailed ribs (6 are located on the inner surface of the side plates A of the breech-casing and preferably consist of tapered strips riveted or otherwise securely connected to said side plates. At or near the bottom of the said side plates steps a maybe provided for preventing the waterjacket and its barrel from descending too far when being connected with the breech-cas mg. i

In order to connect the parts, it is'neces- 8o sary to first detach the hinged cover A of the breech-oasis g by the removal of its hinge-pin a and also to detach the feedrblock E and the lock. The water-jacket, with its barrel,- is then placed in such position relatively to 8 the breech-casing that thedovetail strips a,- on the casing and the grooves b in therecoih ing frame coincide with the dovetail recesses cl in the Water-jacket and the lateral fins or projections c on the barrel. The said watero jacket and barrel are then pressed (lownwardly witirrespect to the breech casing and the upper portion of the barrel is givepa slight blow to cause the parts to become firmly connected together, theiaforesaid stops a' 5 limiting the extent of movement of the" wartor-jacket and barrel'in this operation. The cover, feed-block, and lock are then replaced and a transverse pina is inserted to retain the connected parts together. The gun is then ready to be mounted on its tripod or support for firing. s

F is the tool or lever which may be employed for facilitating the detachment of the barrel and water-jacket from the breech-casing. This tool or lever is constructed with a bent or curved front partfto engage with the rear portion (1' of the water-jacket, and it is also formed with a forked portion f to bear upon the upper portion of each of the recoiling-plates or other convenient part of the breech-casing at points serving as a fulcrum for the lever to turn about in starting the upward mov ment of the water-jacket and barrel with respect to the breech-casing. The parts having thus been initially liberated from engagement with one another their'coinplete detachment can readily beeffected by the operators hands without further use of the aforesaid tool.

\Ve do not wish to confine ourselves to the specific means hereiubefore described for enabling-the water-jacket and barrel to be disconnected from the breech-casing and recoiling frame of the gun, as anyother appropriate means may be employed that will permit of simultaneous detachment and attachment of these parts;

\Vhat we claim, and desire to secure by Lettcrs Patent of the United States, is-

l. A machine'gun provided with means for enabling the barrel and water-jacket to be simultaneously connected to or detached from the other parts of the gun for the purpose specilied.

2. A machine-gun in which the barrel and water-jacket are temporarily connected to' the breech-casing side plates and the recoilplates by projections and grooves formed respectively on and in the said parts and adapted to be simultaneously engaged and disengaged substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In" a machine-gun, the combination of projections on the breech-casing side plates adapted to engage with corresponding grooves in the water-jacket, and of projections on the barrel adapted to engage with corresponding grooves in the recoil-plates substantially as and for the purpose specified.

t. In a machine-gun, the combination of lateral projw-tions. on the interior surface of the breech-casing side plates adapted to engage with corresponding vertical grooves in the Walter-jacked, of lateral projections on the barrel adapted to engage with corresponding vertical grooves in the rccoil plates and of means for limiting the extent to which the parts can move in the assembling operation, substantially as described.

5. In a machine-gun, the combination of laterally-disposed vertical and tapered projections on the interior surface of the breechcasing side plates adapted to engage with corresponding vertical grooves in the waterjacket, of laterally-disposed vertical projections on the barrel adapted to engage with corresponding grooves in the recoil-plates, of stops on the side plates for limiting the extent to which the parts can move in the assembling operation and of means for locking the parts together when assembled substantially as described.

0. In a machine-gun, the combination of laterally-disposed vertical and tapered projections riveted to the interior surface of the breech-casing side plates and adapted to engage with corresponding vertical grooves in the wateracket, of laterally-disposed vertical projections on the barrel adapted to engage with corresponding grooves in the recoil-plates, of stops on the side plates for limiting the extent to which the parts can move in the assembling operation, and ofa pin passing through therear portion of the waterjacket and engagingwith the said side plates for locking the parts together when assembled substantially as described.

7. In a machine-gun, the combination of projections on the breech-casing side plates adapted to engage with corresponding grooves in the water-jacket, of projections on the barrel adapted to engage with corresponding grooves in the recoil-plates and of means for facilitating the release of these parts when engaged substantially as described.

8. In a machine-gun, the combination of projections on the'breech-casing side plates adapted to engage with corresponding grooves in the water-j acket, of projections on the barrel adapted to engage with corresponding grooves in the recoil plates and of a lever having a curved outerencl to engage with the Water jacket and having a forked portion serving as a fulcrum where it bears upon the recoil-plates substantially as and for the purpose specified.

I n testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 19th day'of July, 1001.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. GEORGE THOMAS BUQKIIAM.

\Vitnesses:

HnNnY KING, 0. A. SEARLE. 

